Starting Over

[Nola]

Nola nodded slowly as Neve spoke about how beautiful, and sad, life as a Vai'aja could be. She'd felt it before, during the spring awakening and the year's passing. But never before had she thought of life as such. She looked from Neve to Dy'tre and realized she did not fear the Snow Leopard, even under his unwavering gaze.

Nola felt a calm energy envelop her as a warm breeze swirled around the tree. It was as if the spirits of her parents were telling her that everything was going to be alright. She closed her eyes for a minute and took a deep breath. When she opened her eyes, Nola realized that the calm was centered on Neve. She looked at the Vai'aja and smiled. "I would like to try the bonding, Deving is also in agreement. "

[Neve Luna]

Dy'tre bowed slightly; his spotted back end rising ans his strong, defined forefront lowered to the ground in a majestic aura - showing the eyes on him that he really was the King of his kind. "Your familiar has to lower to the ground in front of Dy'tre and place his forehead - or third eye - against his. This act allows their psyche to connect to each others just as we are connected to them. Once they do so, we have to center ourselves and connect to the energy of the planet and allow our energies to connect within the Mother. We have to stay connected for about a minute and after we disconnect, we should be able to speak to each others familiars, as well as each other." Neve closed her eyes for a moment and allowed her energy to flow from her heart, down her legs and into the soil, allowing it to connect to the many energies the Mother produced underneath her feet.

[Nola]

Nola lowered Deving to the ground and he hopped over to Dy'tre. As he lowered his tiny feathered head to the snow leopard's spotted one, Nola was stuck by their size difference. Her eyes widened as she realized that Dy'tre could just open his mouth and it would all be over. Then, Deving sent her one word, just before he made contact with his counterpart's forehead. Trust.

Nola took a deep breath and smiled at Neve. Through her connection with Deving, she could feel a slight change already. She closed her eyes and just let herself feel. The breeze brushed her hair away from her face, her long sleeves fluttered around her fingers. Nola could feel her legs root to the ground through her feet and she began to feel like never before; the solid but warring energy the earth itself, pulsing energy from the Great Tree of Life, the familiar spirited energy from Deving, and a bright, calmness she knew had to come from Neve. Then she felt a rumbling, strong power- Dy'tre.

[Neve Luna]

All the nerve endings under Neve's skin danced with joy as her energy danced through the soil under her feet and reached out to Nola's. Within seconds, Neve felt her energy spiral with Nola's nervous - but bright - energy and race into her body from her feet and directly into her nervous system and begin to branch out to what seemed like Nola's soul.

At the same exact moment, Neve felt Dy'tre's strength, Deving's flight, and Nola's ambitions surge through her and into her nervous system and began their branching toward the unknown parts of them that allowed their people, and many others, to bond with the Mother and life on the beautiful planet they call home.

Feeling the snow leopard inside of her rumble with approval, Neve centered herself and she saw Dy'tre raise majestically and close his eyes to allow himself to adjust. "It is done." He said softly, almost cautiously, into not only Neve's mind, but to Nola and her tiny familiar as well.

[Nola]

Nola jumped when she heard Dy'tre's voice in her head. Then she felt his steady strength center her and she smiled. She hadn't felt this relaxed since before she'd lost her parents and left the only home she'd ever known.

"Thank you," she said in everyone's minds, "I have never been this connected with anyone before. Except for Deving." She added out loud, "Now what do we do? What were you doing before you found me?"

[Neve Luna]

Dy'tre laughed softly, "I was just reminiscing by the Great Tree." The embarrassment could be heard in his deep, calm voice as he looked up at Nola.

Neve's laugh echoed throughout the forest floor as she walked to Dy'tre's side and gave Nola a quick, friendly hug. "I was sleeping, when I awoke, I just followed Dy'tre's thought waves." Neve gave herself a second to glance around the area: the pods lay in many different areas, all different sizes and shapes, and all new and old. "Which one were you born in?" She asked curiously.

[Nola]

Nola surprised herself by giving Dy'tre a quick hug. "I like to come here and think. I think the Great Tree calls to us throughout our lives. Gives us a recharge when we are feeling low. I was coming here to do just that myself. I'm afraid I'm a bit lost without my parents."

She walked to the base of the tree, rested her hand on a pod that was relatively new. "This is my pod. Deving found me, he'd been waiting for me to emerge for several days. He found Bianca for me, brought her here because I was having trouble acclimating to being out in the world."

[Neve Luna]

Neve nodded in silent understanding. The moment she entered the world, her eyes ached from the light of the moon and her skin was covered in cold bumps that it almost felt like her skin was cracking. Then her Dy'tre came to save her from her pain and confusion.

"It's amazing how our familiars know exactly when to show up - like the Universe itself guides them and tells them exactly what we need." The Vai'aja placed her hand on the gentle giant and smiled down at him.

"Yes," he began, the voice inside their heads had a firm ancient aura, "the Universe speaks to us, tells us that we suddenly have a purpose, what we have to do in order to accomplish it's set mission for us. We are the exact match for our assignment. We nurture them, we care for them, we teach them, we guide them - we even fall in love with them. They are not any different from us except their fragile flesh."

[Nola]

Nola stroked Deving's soft feathers. "I wonder if that's why so many of us choose the same, or similar, forms as our familiars." She was quiet for a moment, thinking.

"I do wish the Universe would speak to me and tell me what my path is. I feel like I should have a purpose, but I don't know what it is."

[Neve Luna]

Neve looked up and silently agreed with her; although she's been alive for quite some time, she never heard the Universe tell her a purpose or a path. Looking down at Dy'tre, she wondered if he knew her path, but decided not to ask publicly.

"I'm not sure if the Universe ever will tell us what our purpose it, although it would be nice to get some sort of hint, wouldn't it?" She laughed softly as she kept her hand on her companions head. Deep down, she knew he probably had something to say to her but wouldn't say it in company. "Though, I think that is why we choose to be like our companions - I couldn't think of any reason not to be just like him." Her fond words were filled with love and compassion for the giant beside her.